From Dave S. on Twitter who got it from Enter the Haggis comes this post on making new fans. How to do it right and how to screw it up…

This article from Sunday’s Washington post made me laugh, cringe, and reluctantly admire some of the ideas concert promoters are using to “put butts in seats” as the article so delicately puts it. Admittedly, some of the ideas verge on brilliant. Why, for example, has no one ever come up with idea of offering layaway for such high ticket events as Bonnaroo and Rothbury before now? No Doubt’s strategy of offering their entire catalog for download if you purchase one of the top tier-tickets is equally savvy. Considering anyone can download their entire catalog for free anyway (albeit illegally), why not offer that enticement and make some real money?

What I found laughable (besides the ridiculous headline…when have concert promoters ever been interested in ‘helping’ fans with anything besides emptying their wallets?) was the excuse that the bad economy is affecting concert ticket sales. Excuse me, but except for the top tier acts like Springsteen, U2, etc., sales for most large-scale concerts have been declining for years (the article even cites a figure that 40% of seats go unsold). It ain’t the money, people. It’s the utterly lame, canned experience that most stadium shows have become combined with the ridiculously exorbitant prices these self-indulgent promoters and acts think they’re entitled to command.

Which is why it made me snort Diet Coke up my nose when I read that Britney Spears expects people to pony up $500 for the privilege of sitting on couches *on* the stage to watch her perform on her upcoming tour. For $500, I’d expect a private show complete with a pole-dance and happy ending (oh, come on…we all know Brit isn’t gender picky…). I mean, everyone’s got their thing. If I had the cash, I might pay that much for the same privilege at the upcoming NIN/JA tour but honest to god? Britney? $500 would get me into anywhere between 25-50 shows by some damned fine indie bands.

I will probably make another post about this, but I came across this excerpt from an interview with the mythologist Joseph Campbell this morning. He explains, better than I ever could, what it felt like to be in the crowd at a Dead show.

Joseph Campbell :

“The Deadheads are doing the dance of life and this I would say, is the answer to the atom bomb.”

“I had a marvelous experience two nights ago. I was invited to a rock concert. (laughter in the audience) I’d never seen one. This was a big hall in Berkeley and the rock group were the Grateful Dead, whose name, by the way, is from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. And these are very sophisticated boys. This was news to me.

Rock music has never seemed that interesting to me. It’s very simple and the beat is the same old thing. But when you see a room with 8000 young people for five hours going through it to the beat of these boys … The genius of these musicians- these three guitars and two wild drummers in the back… The central guitar, Bob Weir, just controls this crowd and when you see 8000 kids all going up in the air together… Listen, this is powerful stuff ! And what is it ? The first thing I thought of was the Dionysian festivals, of course. This energy and these terrific instruments with electric things that zoom in… This is more than music. It turns something on in here (the heart?). And what it turns on is life energy. This is Dionysus talking through these kids. Now I’ve seen similar manifestations, but nothing as innocent as what I saw with this bunch. This was sheer innocence. And when the great beam of light would go over the crowd you’ d see these marvelous young faces in sheer rapture- for five hours ! Packed together like sardines! Eight thousand of them ! Then there was an opening in the back with a series of panel windows and you look out and there’s a whole bunch in another hall, dancing crazy. This is a wonderful fervent loss of self in the larger self of a homogeneous community. This is what it is all about!

It reminded me of Russian Easter. Down in New York we have a big Russian Cathedral. You go there on Russian Easter at midnight and you hear Kristos anesti! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! It’s almost as good as a rock concert. (laughter) It has the same kind of life feel. When I was in Mexico City at the Cathedral of the Virgin of Guadeloupe, there it was again. In India, in Puri, at the temple of the Jagannath- that means the lord of the Moving World- the same damn thing again. It doesn’t matter what the name of the God is, or whether its a rock group or a clergy. It’s somehow hitting that chord of realization of the unity of God in you all, that’s a terrific thing and it just blows the rest away.”

Yes, another road trip. What can I say? I’m in that kind of mood. I caught Enter the Haggis again at the Sun Music Hall in Floyd, Virginia on April 24 and again at the Sedalia Celtic Festival the next day.

Sun Music Hall is a small, relaxed venue in a picturesque Blue Ridge village. The crowd was young and energetic. I suspect many students from Virginia Tech made the trip from nearby Blacksburg. The guys played what’s becoming their pretty standard two sets, heavy on material from the new CD. Having seen them four times now, it’s been interesting to see the new songs evolve and begin to have a life of their own beyond what’s been recorded. And speaking of that, some of the “old” songs are taking on breathtaking new life. Specifically, “Long Way Home.” This tune has gone from one that I really didn’t think that highly of when it was recorded on “Soapbox Heroes” to one of my absolute favorites. I think a lot of that is due largely to Trevor’s growth as a musician (that’s Trevor Lewington, ETH’s guitar player for the uninitiated). It’s obvious that he’s gained a ton of confidence and technical skill in the last few years. Any semi-skilled guitar player can do a standard blues progression, but it takes real soul to pull it off the way he’s been doing lately on “Long Way.” I also got to hear “Death of Johnny Mooring” for the first time at Floyd. It was every bit as dynamic and exciting as I expected it to be. Brian (Buchanan, the fiddle player) has a lot of fun on this song, coaxing sounds out of his fiddle that are heretofore unknown to man.

The next day at the Sedalia Festival, the sets were much the same. Very, very solid, lots of material from the new CD. “Murphy’s Ashes” continues to be a standout. I simply love the way this song builds in intensity, backs off, and builds again to its nearly ear-splitting conclusion. It’s one of the ones I can feel right under my sternum, if that makes any sense. The crowd, however, could not have been more different than the previous night. It mostly resembled Sunday morning at a Southern Baptist Convention. People were appreciative to be sure, but simply would not get up and dance. The rest of it was everything a festival day should be. Warm, sunny weather. Good friends. Great music. Decent beer. It was a real treat to get to know some people I really hadn’t had a chance to hang out with before.

Look for a focus on local and solo musicians coming up here in the next few weeks as the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire begins and I start reviewing some faire band CDs and performances.

I figured I should establish my cred as a reviewer of live music by giving some history of the shows I’ve gone to over the years. This is part one of two, and will deal with everything but the Grateful Dead shows, which need their own post.

Since I was a tiny kid, my parents took me to all kinds of live music. Symphony, folk music, musicals, things like that. I always loved it but I didn’t understand the full power of live rock music until 1984. That year, I went to what I now call my first real concert: Van Halen on the 1984 tour when David Lee Roth was still with them. OK, yeah, I’m kind of old. Whatever. I will never forget perching on the back of my folding chair, in heels, 20 rows from the stage, dead center. The music was ear-splitting, the crowd was wild and intense, the air perfumed with joyful sweat and marijuana smoke (what *do* people call it now?). I was 15, a social outcast, and I left the Philadelphia Spectrum that night with the sense that I’d finally found a place to belong, even for just a brief span of time. As a historical footnote, the video for “Panama” was filmed the night I was there.

The next year, I saw U2 on their “Unforgettable Fire” tour, again at the Spectrum. To this day, it is still in my top ten list of live music experiences. The CD hadn’t been out for very long at that time, but I was enough of a fan to know all the new songs. That same year I saw Bryan Adams (*cringe*) about two weeks before Live Aid. To this day, I can’t believe I missed Live Aid. I was *right there*, an hour from Philadelphia. Watched it on TV though.

During my college years, I saw quite a few prog rock and punk shows. Dead Milkmen, Marillion, Butthole Surfers, stuff like that. As well as many, many nights of listening to my college friends “bands”. I also saw U2 twice more for “Joshua Tree” during that period of time. Of all those, Marillion stands out the most. They were *huge* in Europe at the time, selling out soccer stadiums, but we saw them in teeny tiny bars in places like Poughkeepsie and Albany.

After college, I almost immediately discovered the Grateful Dead, which will be covered in a separate post. In my 20s, I saw all kinds of music. Jam bands, jazz, classic rock, pop, bluegrass, blues, anywhere and everywhere I could get. I haunted the clubs in Baltimore and saw bands like The Counting Crows way before they were well-known. I had a friend who had a band, jammy jazz influenced original stuff and for a while, every Saturday night, we’d go hear them. It was during this time that I discovered some of what remains my favorite music to date. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Blues Traveler, Eric Clapton, Phish and more.

Then I got married and immersed in real life and it all kind of…stopped. For a period of several years, I didn’t see any live music at all. I’d lost interest in standard radio music. The local alternative station in Baltimore changed formats. I was in grad school and broke. I got divorced somewhere in there. Then, one of those random, life-changing things happened and I managed to discover Great Big Sea while living about 1,000 miles from Newfoundland. I met my now-husband, which is a story in and of itself, and started seeing all kinds of East Coast bands, celtic rock bands, etc. when we lived in Toronto.

After moving to the cultural wasteland of South Florida, my primary exposure to live music came at Ren faires. I was still missing that bone-shaking, full-body, rock concert experience. We moved to Missouri. More bluegrass and Ozark folk music. Then…then I saw Enter the Haggis at the Milwaukee Irish Festival in August, 2007. I’d seen them before, more than a few times, but for some reason the experience of standing out in the pouring rain, drenched, freezing and singing my heart out, resonated with me in a way few live performances had ever done before. I bought “Northampton” at that show and I was gone. Never looked back. It was *exactly* the kind of musical experience I’d been missing so much. Adrenaline rushing, ear-ringing, bone-vibrating, and alive.

So…that’s my concert history. What’s yours?

Sorry for the belatedness of this review. It’s been a week.

The Dublin Pub…nice venue. The owner was awesome. A true publican who made sure everyone was comfortable and having a good time. It was already packed when I got there around 7:30 and I ended up in the back by the bar among the people who preferred to talk rather than listen.  Most of the crowd seemed to be people who came to their favorite bar and, ooh, look, a band!

I would like to say for the record that I was not the only crazy person there. I met a guy, Dan, who had flown in from Alexandria, LA! We debated who was nuttier. He’d come farther, but I had driven the whole 10 hours. I think it was a tie.

OK, the show. The first of the two sets was…interesting. The first two songs were great (The Litter and the Leaves, Lancaster Gate). Then it got sort of uneven. Not bad, just not as tight as I’ve come to expect. The guys seemed to be having trouble finding and holding a consistent groove. I’m not sure if it was something technical going on, or the odd crowd, or what. Or maybe it was just me in my vantage point among the talkers.

However, things changed in the second of the two sets. Not only did the guys find the groove, they caught it, wrestled it to the ground, kicked its ass and showed it who was boss. It was the best single set of Enter the Haggis I’ve heard in the ten years I’ve been seeing them.

A thunderous version of Murphy’s Ashes opened the set followed by Ghosts of Calico which is catchy and haunting all at the same time. Apothecary with a gorgeous new intro…I love it played this way! Couple more solid tunes then Craig played “Amazing Grace” as the intro to “Long Way Home.” Apparently, a Dayton police officer had fallen the day before and this was a tribute. That few minutes alone would have been worth driving 10 hours to hear. It was moving and technically spot-on. Some more really solid stuff, then Broken Line. It is not hyperbole to say this song is a masterpiece, both live and on the CD. Lanigan’s closed the set and Brian had fun playing with his new toys (violin effect pedals), much to the delight of the crowd, who finally seemed to get into things. Particularly, when Trevor decided to be a rock star and jumped up on one of the tables to close out the tune!

The encore was Lights and Cars which never fails to move me, Congress and Gasoline. Trevor had to get a bit acrobatic for the drum-guitar bit during Congress because the stage was so small. All in all? Completely worth the 20 hours in the car. Completely. Bravo, guys!

Enter the Haggis brought their unique blend of Celtic rock fusion to Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, IL on Saturday night, March 28, 2009. The Canadian quintet is currently touring in support of their new album, “Gutter Anthems,” and songs from the new CD were prominently featured throughout the night.

Fitzgerald’s is a quality venue with a comfortable ambiance and a good selection of imported and domestic beer on tap. By the time the show started (delayed to 9:30 so that the club could observe Earth Hour by dimming the lights) there was a full house of long-time fans, newcomers and club regulars unfamiliar with Enter the Haggis’ particular mixture of rock, pop, funk, jazz overlain by a strong Celtic influence.

The band opened with the high-energy The Litter and the Leaves, an Irish punk-sounding call-to-arms against the status quo. The sound quality was excellent, with guitarist Trevor Lewington and piper Craig Downie blending perfectly. Brian Buchanan, normally on keyboard or fiddle, looked perfectly comfortable wielding a beer bottle instead as he riled up the crowd with strong vocals.

Enter the Haggis followed up that rousing opener with Lancaster Gate, an instrumental from their third studio album, “Soapbox Heroes.” Bassist Mark Abraham really shone with his melodic style of playing. Smoking hot versions of Another Round and the new pop-rock tune DNA followed, inspiring some enthusiastic dancing.

Buchanan picked up his fiddle for “Fiddle Set,” a lively compilation of several traditional Canadian tunes. A competent keyboard player, Buchanan really shines on the fiddle with his high level of technical talent combined with true musical artistry. Downie’s antics during this tune drew the crowd further into the groove.

The rest of the set was a mixture of older tunes interspersed with new songs from “Gutter Anthems.” The only slight hitch occurred at the end of the set when Buchanan’s battery died during “Down with the Ship” forcing him to forgo the soaring fiddle solo that usually closes out the tune. However, drummer James Campbell more than made up the difference with his heart-shaking drumming.

The second set opened with a new instrumental from “Gutter Anthems,” Murphy’s Ashes. Downie proved on this and several other tunes that he’s far more than a traditional Highland piper, pushing the boundaries of his instrument to its limit and beyond. Enter the Haggis followed that up with the haunting, country-influenced Ghosts of Calico and then a mix of new tunes and crowd-pleasing favorites.

The most powerful moments of the night came from two of the band’s older tracks, One Last Drink and Congress which showed two distinct sides of the band. One Last Drink allowed the band to show off their vocal prowess with perfectly blended harmonies. The instrumental Congress showed off the high level of technical ability that each member of Enter the Haggis brings to the table along with pure, joyful showmanship.

Always friendly and accessible to their fans, the band stayed after the show to mingle and sign CDs. Enter the Haggis continues the tour next weekend with shows in Ohio and West Virginia, followed later in April by a string of East Coast dates. Tour information can be found at http://www.enterthehaggis.com along with audio streams of the band’s last four CDs.

I have my typical Haggis hangover this morning. My feet hurt from dancing, I’m hoarse from singing and cheering, and I’m *so* tired. Totally, totally worth it. This is the first of two posts about the show. This one will be an informal trip report. The next will be a more formal review of the actual show.

The Canadian and I got up Saturday morning at 5:00 and were out the door by 6:00. The trip was mostly uneventful but UGH…southern Illinois. I-55 between St. Louis and Chicago has to be the most boring drive on the planet. There are no cows, no houses, no horses, no trees, no scenery, no hills, no towns. *nothing* Just fields and grain silos.

We got to Chicago about 3:00 and I immediately collapsed for a nap while the Canadian went to do some reconnaissance at the venue. The hotel room was amazing! Hotels.com rocks. $88 for a suite at the Write Inn, a gorgeous, vintage 1920s hotel. The suite had a jacuzzi tub, kitchenette, and a gas fireplace! The hotel even had one of those old-fashioned elevators with the doors you open yourself. The Canadian woke me up around 5:00 and I spent the next hour or so making myself sufficiently beautiful. Chicago is a big city and I wanted to look stylish. Besides, we were meeting friends I hadn’t seen in almost nine years.

We headed over, scored a great parking space and met up with our friends at Wishbone, next door to Fitzgerald’s where the show would be. It was a real treat to see my friend and her husband. We hadn’t seen or talked to them in almost eight years. Facebook is the devil, but it can come in handy for reconnecting with old friends. The restaurant’s contemporary Cajun and Creole cuisine was a welcome surprise. It’s rare to find creative vegetarian food where I’m from and Wishbone really hit the mark with a large section of delicious-looking vegetarian dishes. I settled on the hoe cakes with grilled vegetables, described in the menu as “Roasted red peppers, spinach, portabella mushrooms and zucchini sautéed in white wine with a touch of cream smothered over a cheese grit cake.” It was rich, yet not too heavy and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. We carried our food over to Fitzgerald’s to eat, as the host had invited us to do. As we ate and drank, the waitresses set out candles and the club dimmed all the lights for Earth Hour which made for a really nice ambiance.

At this point, I need to digress about beer. Imported honey wheat beer by the pint does not equal domestic beer by the bottle. I forgot to get the name of it, but whatever it was, it was a lovely, sour honey wheat with a lemony undertone. Very refreshing, smooth and *deceptively* alcoholic! It really snuck up on me and I wound up being a lot more…erm…tipsy… than I like to get. But the Canadian tells me that I handled it relatively well and didn’t make an apocalyptic fool of myself, so it’s all good.

We also met up with some online friends, both awesome guys. As we all talked and got to know each other we realized that three of the couples, including us, had had home births! Three homebirth families in a crowd of about…150? is an amazing coincidence.

So, back to the show. Enter the Haggis opened with “The Litter and the Leaves” off their new CD, “Gutter Anthems.” It was wacky high-energy. I’ll write more about the actual show in my more formal review in my next post. Suffice it to say here that the first set was excellent.

Here, I’ve got to put in a note about the “dancers”. There was one woman…good god. I’d talked to her outside. She was super drunk and ranting about Obama being a terrorist, if that tells you anything. Anyway, inside, she was…amusing. Advice for posterity? Attempting to step dance in high heels is not a good idea. Honestly, I didn’t notice her much, being lost in the music as I tend to get. But from other people’s reports it was quite the spectacle.

After the break, another full set including the *best* version of “One Last Drink” that I’ve ever heard. (That might have been in the first set, my memory is a bit hazy on the order of things.) Also, “Ghosts of Calico” which was exactly as amazing as I knew it would be. Like I said, I’ll write more about that in my next post…

I was Craig-side during the show, a vantage point I’d never had before. He’s hilarious and clearly loves what he’s doing. He gets a twinkle in his eye that’s just a joy to see. It was also a new experience for me to see the guys so close up. It made seeing intricate tunes like “Congress” so much more amazing, just from being able to see Trevor play up close.

After the show, prodded by the Canadian and friends, I managed to actually speak with each of the guys and get my picture taken and my CD signed. Some of you may realize what a huge deal that was for me. Social anxiety sucks sometimes. It’s not like a star-struck thing, either (that, my friends, is a whole separate post). It’s just terminal shyness around anyone I don’t know.

Discovered that the car battery had died, but thankfully a friend was able to give us a jump and we headed back to the hotel to collapse. Trip home was uneventful and boring. The snow that started to fall in the night stopped about an hour south of Chicago, so didn’t slow us down as much as we’d feared. Got a Twitter from the band that made me laugh. They made it back to Canada before we made it home one state away! That either speaks to how big this country is, or to what insane nuts we are for driving so far in the first place. I’m thinking the latter…

Peace out…look for the show review within the next day or so.